You are hereCD Reviews
CD Reviews
Album Review: The Albion Band - The Vice of the People (Powered Flight Music)12 February 2012 - 8:00amAn impressive debut from a band that has been around for over forty years. It may be seen as taking a bit of a liberty referring to this record as a debut album, but the fact remains, this is a completely new band, featuring half a dozen young musicians who might just as well have adopted a new name altogether. The six members chose to continue the Albion Band tradition, now in its forty-first...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: O'Hooley & Tidow - The Fragile (No Masters)12 February 2012 - 8:00amAny new material from the songwriting partnership of Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow is always eagerly anticipated and with THE FRAGILE there is no exception. The adjective 'fragile' has an almost infinite significance and we take it that in this instance it is used as a collective noun. The duo write about the fragile amongst us and that very fragility is emphasised in these delicate...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Breabach - Bann (Breabach Records)12 February 2012 - 7:00amThe third album release by Scots quintet Breabach comes at the end of a year of success and change, with nominations at both the BBC2 Folk Awards and the Scots Trad Awards in the category of best band in both cases. With a personnel re-shuffle that introduces into the fold multi-instrumentalist Megan Henderson on fiddle and piper James Mackenzie on both pipes and flute, the latter maintaining...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
EP Review: Auction for the Promise Club - One (Self Release)12 February 2012 - 6:00amThis debut EP from three-piece pop/rock outfit Auction for the Promise Club, returns to basics with four guitar-driven songs, almost alluding to The Pixies' famed tempo-changing precedent, one minute sweetly emotive then almost instantly imbued with a pounding sonic force that could wake the dead. The four self-penned selections Under China, Liquid, If and Dancer, were recorded at Abbey Road...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Karen Tweed - Essentially Invisible to the Eye (May Monday Adventures)5 February 2012 - 1:15amHighly inventive solo accordion playing from one of the best players around. Karen Tweed knows the instrument like the back of her hand and can play just about anything at the drop of a hat, which she often does. The term musician's musician is too often used, but in Karen's case it's right on the button. Known in folk circles as an accompanist second to none, it's with something like the Bruce...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: The James Low Western Front - Whiskey Farmer (Union Made)22 January 2012 - 2:00amWith a fresh country sound reminiscent of mid-period Gram Parsons and with more than a nod to that ether world that lies somewhere between Nashville and Bakersfield, Portland's James Low has taken his country-infected sound to Jackpot! Studios in order to record a whole bunch of songs that could easily have stretched to at least a couple of albums. The eight self-penned songs that make up this...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Matt Anderson - Coal Mining Blues (Busted Flat)22 January 2012 - 12:00amThere's at least two sides to Matt Andersen, the Perth-Andover, New Brunswick-based bluesman; there's the hard rocking sweaty showman who dominates the stage whilst delivering his trademark hot licks, but also the gentle giant with the soulful voice, the quality of which is demonstrated in some of his more sensitive material, such as the title song to this his seventh album to date, COAL MINING...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Lincoln Durham - The Shovel vs the Howling Bones (Rayburn Publishing)15 January 2012 - 10:00amIt does appear strange that the name of two beautiful cathedral cites in England should be associated with such full-blooded and authentic American music. Lincoln Durham's gritty vocal and determined guitar style dominates the eleven self-penned songs on this his debut full length album. Following hot on the heels of his initial self-titled four song EP (2010), which contained Living This Hard...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Gretchen Peters - Hello Cruel World (Scarlet Letter)15 January 2012 - 8:00amThere's little doubt that Gretchen Peters was put on this planet to write songs, something she has been doing prolifically and successfully for the best part of her adulthood, firstly for other artists and then during the last sixteen years for herself. With nine albums to date, the New York-born songwriter continues to write from the heart with songs that have attracted the attention of many...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston - Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston (Hands On Music)15 January 2012 - 7:30amCo-produced by Rex Preston and Joe Rusby, Miranda Sykes and Rex's self-titled debut album as a duo opens with a song written by Joe's sister Kate, Old Man Time, which appeared on Rusby's debut solo album way back in 1997. With a delicate touch, Miranda bows her double bass whilst Rex embellishes each phrase with his dextrous command over the mandolin, bringing a new sound to our ears. If at...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
